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This is one of seven programs at present available in the Read Right Away Series. If I say there is an arcade flavour about them, that's not meant in a derogatory sense, rather that they are the sort of games that will immediately appeal to children, and the graphics are superb!

Written by an educational psychologist (don't let that put you off either!), they are intended as part of a language program, and will be welcomed in any classroom where phonic work is taking place, particularly for those who have been turned off books - although I expect it'll be difficult to keep those who don't really need them away. There's a great deal of flexibility about the programs - number of players, skill levels, choice of sounds to meet individual needs.

Sploosh is a program that concentrates on vowel digraphs. The title page gives the option of going to the instruction page or 'not. This is followed by a skill level choice (1-5) - the higher the skill level, the fewer mistakes allowed; choice of 2·4 from 7 digraphs; and one or two players.

Each player is presented with a set of four diving boards consisting of words with vowel digraphs missing. Using his diver, a player has to select a vowel digraph and drop it into the appropriate word. A correct choice leads to a diving display, and four words completed by the end of the game leads to an accolade for the player's diver.

Other programs in the series include: Letter Bugs, Sortout, Firefight, Pyramids, Splashdown and Magic E. Sound effects in all programs are most appropriate, but, unfortunately, the one option missing is sound level.

I suspect these are the sort of programs children will enjoy taking home in days to come for learning with these really is fun, and mums and dads will play with them after the children are tucked up in bed just for the pleasure of the graphics!

Highlight have a generous discount scheme for purchases of complete suites of programs, exchange discs for cassettes and accidentally-erased discs and cassettes for a nominal fee.

Dave Reeder